A significant percentage of the United States Postal Service (USPS) revenue is from metered postage. Metered postage is generated by utilizing postage meters that print a special mark, also known as postal indicia, on mail pieces. Generally, printing postage and any other value bearing item (VBI) can be carried out by using mechanical meters or computer-based systems. Conventionally, a business or other entity will have a meter at its place of business, and will use the meter to print postal indicia on mail pieces or on labels that are then affixed to the mail pieces.
With respect to computer-based postage processing systems, the USPS under the Information-Based Indicia Program (IBIP) has published specifications for IBIP postage meters that identify a special purpose hardware device, known as a Postal Security Device (PSD) that is generally located at a user's site. The PSD, in conjunction with the user's personal computer and printer, functions as the IBIP postage meter. The USPS has published a number of documents describing the PSD specifications, the indicia specifications and other related and relevant information.
Currently, one of the standards required by the USPS is that the address of the intended recipient of a piece of mail be verified by comparing the entered address with a database of valid addresses provided by the USPS. Conventionally, this requires that the sender have the database installed on their local computer and compare the intended destination address with the addresses in the database. Therefore, while conventional computer-based postage systems allows a user to print a postal indicium at home, at the office, or any other desired place for a particular mail piece with an intended recipient, such systems do not allow the printing of postal indicia onto labels or other print media for future use on any mail piece with a presently unidentified recipient.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method for printing postal indicia that does not require address matching or mailing on a particular date, for use on mailpieces in a manner similar to standard stamps.